Babyshop used radio in an innovative way to seamlessly reach families and children traumatized by conflict, by playing a scientifically backed Arabic lullaby over the airwaves every night at 8pm.

The lullaby changed the tone on radio, shifting away from news relating to war, deliberately interrupting radio listening time reserved for adults to play something for children, reminding them that children are listening too.

By playing the lullaby every night on Syria’s 2 largest radio stations, the lullaby encouraged an important routine for parents to put their children to bed, educating people on the importance of peaceful bedtimes for children.

It's crucial to understand the cultural context and the nuances of the Syrian environment where the lullaby initiative was implemented. The Syrian civil war, ongoing since March 2011, has significantly influenced the national psyche, especially impacting children. Many of these children, born into conflict, have been living in a continuous state of unrest and anxiety. The pervasive nature of war and its sounds, including propaganda and news coverage, have become a distressing part of their daily lives.

In this setting, the use of music, particularly a lullaby, holds special significance. Lullabies are a universal element of childhood, often associated with comfort, security, and a parent’s love. By creating a scientifically-backed lullaby, Babyshop tapped into this universal symbol of comfort. This was not just a creative choice but a culturally sensitive one, acknowledging the therapeutic power of music in soothing and calming the nervous system of children.

Nearly five million children born in Syria since March 2011 have known nothing but war and conflict, and in many parts of the country, children and families continue to live in fear of violence, landmines, and explosive remnants of war. The sounds of war are heard all around them, from everyday conversations, to actual conflict and constant radio broadcasts featuring news of war and propaganda.

Children living in these stressful and traumatic environments are denied the privilege of peaceful bedtimes, which has adverse effects on their sleep - leading to long-lasting mental health issues.

As a brand that believes every child deserves the best start in life, Babyshop a leading retailer for babies in the Middle East, sought a unique way to provide comfort to children suffering from trauma and help them get the sleep they deserve.

For more than 10 years children in Syria have been going to bed to the sound of war – often heard on the radio around bedtime in war news coverage and even propaganda.

To help children get the sleep they deserve, Babyshop took over the airwaves in Syria every night at bedtime, to replace the sounds of war with a specially composed Arabic lullaby.

The lullaby was created collaboration with Ghaliaa Chaker and a team of neuroscientists and music therapists, specifically composed to soothe and calm the nerves of children traumatized by war.

Babyshop played the lullaby on Syria’s two largest radio stations, and on loudspeakers in refugee camps at 8pm. every night, reaching millions of families, giving them a tool they could use every night at bedtime.

The lullaby was created as a permanent tool for families across the Middle East to help children get the sleep they deserve.

For many children in Syria, there is no respite from the stresses of war, even at bedtime, with radio content characterized by news of war and propaganda. Babyshop decided to change the tone on radio at bedtime, deliberately interrupting listening time for adults, by playing a unique Arabic lullaby for children, composed in collaboration with neuroscientist and music therapists.

The lullaby played on Syria’s two largest radio stations at 8pm. every night from March 2023 onwards, to replace the sounds of war, encourage an important routine of putting children to bed and serving as a powerful reminder to adults that children are listening too.

Using radio allowed Babyshop to reach families and refugees on a large scale, seamlessly entering their homes with a soothing and effective piece of music that could be used by families as a tool to help children get the sleep they deserve.

To create an effective lullaby we collaborated Syrian singer songwriter Ghaliaa Chaker, and a team of neuroscientists and music therapists to ensure the song followed musical principles proven to calm the nerves of children, including: a gentle rhythm, simple melody, slow tempo, repetition and short intervals.

The full lullaby played on Syria’s two largest radio stations, and on loudspeakers in refugee camps, every night at 8pm. from March 2023 onwards, serving as an effective daily tool for parents and children, and reminding adults that children are listening too. Using radio, Babyshop reached hundreds of thousands of children daily, encouraging a routine for families to put their children to bed.

Families could also listen to the song on Anghami or a special radio Frequencies of Peace FM that plays the lullaby 24/7. The campaign was further amplified through extensive global news coverage reaching millions more around the world.

The lullaby interrupted radio listening time for adults, to help children fall asleep peacefully, while reminding adults that children are listening too.

The lullaby played on Syria’s two largest radio stations every night at 8pm. from March 2023 onwards, and will continue to air as an ongoing initiative. Through radio the lullaby reached over 4 million radio listeners across Syria every night.

By creating this scientifically backed lullaby, Babyshop gave families a permanent tool, to help children affected by conflict across the Middle East for as long as they need it.

The initiative was amplified on TV news networks and publications across the world including Sky News, CNN, Euro News and more – reaching a total of 147,860,000 people.

The song is permanently available for families on Anghami, the Middle East’s leading music streaming platform, and a permanent radio station Frequencies of Peace FM, created to play the lullaby 24/7.